Library Welcomes New Staff Members

We are pleased to introduce two new members of the Library staff.

Ann Victor, Children’s Collection Specialist, has English and Music degrees from Susquehanna University and is beginning her Masters of Library Science degree with C.W. Post Long Island University this fall.  She also brings valuable experience as a bookseller with Borders.  She is responsible for ordering, processing, cataloging and general maintenance of our children’s materials.

Kathy Cherniavsky grew up working in the Trumbull Public Library as a teenager.  After receiving her MLS at Southern Connecticut State University, her first professional position was as a surgical clinical librarian at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford.  She later ran the medical library at Milford Hospital.  After marrying a hotel manager, she became an elementary school Media Specialist in Georgia and the Florida Keys for fifteen years.  An avid reader and lover of children’s literature, Kathy can be found most afternoons at the desk in Children’s Services, where she is ready to assist with homework questions or leisure reading suggestions.

Ann and Kathy replace Children’s Library Assistant Diana Messer, who has gone off to graduate school, and long-time Technical Services head Bobbie Herman, who has retired to enjoy time with her grandchildren in California.

Faster Turnaround on Museum Passes at the Ridgefield Library

Several changes are coming to the museum pass program at the Library.  Starting October 1, the loan period on the passes will be 2 days.  This means, for example, when you check out a pass on Tuesday, it will be due back at the Library by Thursday. Also, passes will now be offered on a first come, first served basis.  There are no longer any reservations for passes. We hope these changes will mean quicker turnaround times on the passes, so that more of our patrons can make use of them. What has not changed is that only people with valid Ridgefield Library cards may take out museum passes.

Many passes are made available through the generosity of The Friends of the RidgefieldLibrary. The Library offers passes that give either free admission or discounted admission to such places as: American Museum of Natural History, Beardsley Zoo, Connecticut Science Center, Danbury Railway Museum, Discovery Museum, Earthplace, Guggenheim Museum, Mystic Seaport, Neuberger Museum of Art, Peabody Museum, and the Stepping Stones Museum for Children, and more.  Next time you are in the Library, stop by the Children’s Services Department to see what passes are available that day.  You never know where the Library can take you!

Poetry Lovers Meet Monthly

The Library’s Poetry Discussion Group meets on the third Friday of the month from 1:00 – 3:30 PM.  One collection of a poet’s work is discussed over two or three sessions.  Discussions are led by retired English Professor Dr. Alan Holder.  This program has proved to be so popular that we are instituting new rules.

The program is made possible thanks to the Friends of the Ridgefield Library, who in the past have made free copies of the selected book available to all participants (as long as supplies lasted).  Because demand often outpaces supply, effective immediately these free books will be available only for those who are members of the Friends. To join, print out a membership form from the Library website (www.ridgefieldlibrary.org, look under “About Us” for the Friends page) or pick up a form at any session.  Friends membership is a great deal, with dues only $10 per/year for seniors and $15 for adults.  And to top it off, Friends dues support your favorite Library activities, like the Poetry Discussion Group.

For non-members a limited number of copies will be available to use at the discussions and some will be for sale (book prices range from approximately $10 to $15 a book).  

Library a Refuge after the Storm

The Ridgefield Library suffered power outages, along with most of the town, on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday last week.  But once we were up and running, we became a source of power for thousands.  On our first day open after the storm, 2,846 people came to the Library – more than double our normal daily average of 1,200 visitors! 

And what did they do here?  Here’s one sample, posted on our Facebook page by a grateful patron: "Library is a huge asset. I charged my computer, IPAD, droid and another cell phone and conducted a 3 hour meeting all from Ridgefield Public Library. Thank you!"  Accessing the Internet via our computers or wireless network was a top priority for many, along with charging various devices.  We outfitted every available space with tables and chairs and power strips to accommodate the largest number we could.

With lack of power and the delay of the start of school, many families had kids itchy with boredom, so we provided ad hoc children’s programs, including crafts, board games, movies and a special Friday evening storytime.

While we couldn’t fix every storm-related problem, we are proud that the Ridgefield Library was able to be a vital resource for our town in a time of trouble.